Posthole digger



Feb. 3, 1948. M. E. SONNENBEXRG POST HOLE DIGGER Filed Feb. 23, 1946MMEQUNDQEWWW WW II I U I I1 I \\---LLLPT-L9 Nil l1. 0 v 6 5 B I z "l l oz 5 3 5 v 5 w a Z 5 m Inventor MIL 0 SONNZMBER G Patented Feb. 3, 1948POSTHOLE BIGGER Milo E. Sonnenberg, Garden City, Kans., assignor ofone-third to Dave Mangan, Garden City,

Kans.

Application February 23, 1946, Serial No. 649,529

2 Claims. 1

The invention, one form of which is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and described in the specification to follow, has for one ofits objects to provide a post hole digger provided with a singlevertical handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a post hole digger havinga tubular handle through which operates a cutter blade operating means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a post hole diggerwith hinged blades and a lever controlled toggle for operating theblades.

This invention has for another object to provide in a post hole digger aspring actuated toggle control.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying illustrative drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view of the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a broken away elevational view of the invention,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the abovereferred to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely forthe purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction maybe resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the inventionmay be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances whichmay arise, without in any way departing from the spirit and intention ofthe device which is to be limited only in accordance with the appendedclaims. And while there is stated the primary field of utility of theinvention it remains obvious that it may be employed in any othercapacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, thesame reference characters are used to designate the same parts andelements throughout and which comprises a post hole digger having aplate I2 provided with a screw threaded central bore 13 into which iseither screwed or welded the end 14 of a vertical tube l5 forming ahandle for the digger. Slidably seated in the handle is a rod IS, thelower end I! of which is attached by a pin l8 to the inner offset endsl9 and 20 of toggle members 2| and 22, the outer ends 23 and 24 of whichare pivotally connected to bearing members 25 and 26, riveted orotherwise secured to the inner surfaces of arcuate cutter blades 21 and28. The upper edges 29 and 30 are connected by hinges 3| and 32 to theopposite peripheral edges 33 and 34 of the plate 12. The hinges 33 and34' are set in sufiiciently to permit the said cutter edges '29 and 30to seat directly against the under peripheral sides 35 and 36 of theplate 12 when the blades are in spread cutting position as shown inFigure 1 of the drawings.

The tube I5 is provided with opposing slots 3'! and 38, through which apin 39 projecting transversely through a bore 40 in the rod I6 projects.The outer ends 4| and 42 of the said pin extend into arcuatelongitudinal slots 43 and 44 in the arcuate furcations 45 and 46 of alever 41 pivotally mounted by pin 48 in the clevis 49 welded orotherwise attached to the tube I5.

Coiled around the reduced upper end 50 of the rod 16 is a spring 51seating upon an annular integral flange 53 of the rod and seated uponthe upper end 54 of the spring is a short tube 55 held bearing down uponthe spring by a cap 56 screw threaded upon the upper end 51 of thehandle I5, whereby the rod 16 is normally held in lowered position tospread the toggles 22 and 2| to horizontal position and hold the cuttersin vertical or operative position as shown in Figure 1. In order tohold' the rod in said lowered position against give of the spring whenstriking the edges 58 and 59 down into the ground, notches 66 areprovided in the upper edges BI of the slots 43 and 44 at the ends 62 and63 of the furcations 45 and 46 into which the ends 4| and 42 of the pin39 are adapted to seat when the lever 41 is in raised position.

When the lever 41 is pulled down the marginal edges 64 and 65 of arcuateslots 43 and 44 bear upon the pin ends 4! and 42 and raise the rod l6-against the tension of the spring 5| and thereby raise the ends l9 and20 of the toggles to draw in the lower ends 64 and 65 of the cutterblades and thereby bind soil which has been gathered therein from a posthole being dug. Of course, when the device has been withdrawn fromthehole, the lever is raised to again spread the blades in order to releasethe material held therein.

Having now described the invention that which is claimed to be new anddesired to be procured by Letters Patent is:

1. A post hole digger comprising a tubular I handle with a flat platesecured transversely 3 and at one end thereof, a rod extending throughsaid plate and into said tubular handle, a pair of arcuate blades hingedto the outer edges of said plate, toggle links between the lower end ofsaid rod and said blades,an actuating lever secured by an oiiset pivoton said handle, a pin rigidly secured transversely of said rod andextending through slots'in said handle and'in one end of said lever,whereby the blades may {be operated by said lever, a lateral notch atone end I of the slot in said lever to receive said pin and to lock saidrod in blade-extending position, and -a I f f ,.REFE-BENCES CITED springto bias said rod into said position;

2. A post hole digger comprisingajfltubular handle with a flat platesecured transversely and at one end thereof, a rod extending throughsaid plate and into said tubular handle,- a pair of-:-

arcuate blades hinged to the outer edges of said plate, toggle linksbetween the lower end of said rod and said blades, an actuating leversecured by an ofiset pivot on said handle, a'pin rigidlysecured:transversely of said rod and extending "15 The romaine;

imber throughslots in said handle and in one end of said lever, wherebythe blades maybe operated by said lever, a lateral notch at one end ofthe slot in said lever to receive said pin and to lock said rod inblade-extending position, and a spring to bias said rod into saidposition, said one end of the lever being bifurcated to straddle saidhandle, the iurcationsbeing arcuate and arcuately slotted, and saidoffset pivot including lq a clevis rigidly secured to said handleintermediate the ends thereof.

MILO E. 'SONNENBERG.

references are of record in the 5 of this ar t, I

" UNITED sTATEs PATENTS Name I Date 1,443,138 Littley" Jan. 2?, 192a2,028,680 Mayed'a'al, E I V Jan. 21,1936 7 2,349,076 Cole ay '15, 194

